Veggie Van
Veggie Van is a mobile market on wheels, bringing safe, affordable, convenient food access to neighborhoods across Columbus.
In May 2020, Veggie Van launched its online ordering platform, making the shopping experience completely contactless whenever possible.
Focused on the accessibility and affordability of groceries, Veggie Van accepts SNAP/EBT, Produce Perks, credit/debit, cash, and Apple Pay.
For more information about Local Matters’ mobile market or to order your groceries, head on over to our Veggie Van page.
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@localmattersorg
Community Gardens
Local Matters manages nineteen community gardens across Columbus this growing season.
Community gardens can be a powerful connector - bringing us closer to the earth, our food, and each other.
In a time when gathering in groups can be difficult, community gardens also offer a safe, outdoor environment to work alongside Local Matters’ gardening team.
All produce grown in Local Matters gardens is available to be harvested by the public. Any produce harvested by the Local Matters team is sold at Veggie Van, furthering our community’s connection to whole, healthy foods.
Advocacy
Local Matters advocacy team has been hard at work to bring much needed financial and programmatic support to Central Ohio’s food system.
In May 2020, USDA authorized Ohio to receive Pandemic EBT funding so that families who previously qualified for free-or-reduced lunch for their kids receive the financial equivalent through P-EBT funds. Local Matters works alongside a coalition of organizations from across Ohio to raise awareness about P-EBT funds.
Interested in learning more about Local Matters advocacy efforts? Check out our Advocacy Resources page for the latest tools and announcements.
Virtual Programming
Cooking at Home
While COVID-19 has paused Local Matters' hands-on food education and access programming, we're still committed to cooking together. We invite you to continue joining us in the kitchen... your kitchen!
Food Matters Lessons
We miss our Food Matters students! With our year together cut short, check out these videos our educators have put together to bring our programming to your remote classroom - wherever that is!
Virtual Gardening Classes
The growing season is here! Join us for virtual gardening classes to learn more about growing your own food this spring and summer. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for dirt-filled fun for the whole family!
Looking to volunteer?
Check out Local Matters’ remote and in-person volunteer opportunities on our volunteer page. Consider also lending a hand to our partners in food access work:
Community Development for All People – Fresh Market Volunteer
FoodRescue.US – Food Rescuers (Drivers)